Pajama Press

Pajama Press is pleased to congratulate the authors of four of our Spring 2014 titles on being selected for the Fall 2014 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens.

Starred Selection: Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis

Starred Selection: Revenge on the Fly by Sylvia McNicoll

When Emily Carr Met Woowritten by Monica Kulling and illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Skydiver: Saving the Fastest Bird in the World written and illustrated by Celia Godkin

Best Books for Kids & Teens  is a publication of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Click here to learn more.

“In Princess Pistachio, Marie-Louise Gay appeals to young readers making the transition to chapter books. The text is easy to read and full of engaging conversations between the “princess” and her family and friends. Her friends are brutally honest with her when she pretends to be someone she is not: “You are no more a princess than I am. What has got into you?” Young readers will definitely be able to identify with Pistachio Shoelace’s desire to be someone else while suffering through family responsibilities and obnoxious siblings…

…This book can definitely be used as a read-aloud for early emergent readers. Fluent readers can read it themselves. Princess Pistachio is a beautifully written and luminously illustrated book which will help children make the transition to chapter books. Readers of all ages will also be thrilled to learn that there will soon be a new Princess Pistachio book!

Highly Recommended.”

Click here to read the full review.

Peach Girl, the lively picture book writtenby Raymond Nakamura and illustrated by Rebecca Bender, has been selected as a Toronto Public Library “First & Best” book for 2014. The First & Best list, which features ten new Canadian books for children from ages 0–5, is carefully selected to increase young children’s reading readiness. Because, as the Toronto Public Library website says, “the first books you share with your child should also be the best!”

Click here to view the full list.

The Inspire! Toronto International Book Fair took place from November 13th to 16th, with a Thursday night reception and three full days of programming. We had the pleasure of highlighting seven Pajama Press authors: Deborah Ellis, Sylvia McNicoll, Marsha Skrypuch, Stephanie McLellan, Rob Laidlaw, Karen Bass, and Margriet Ruurs. Our booth in the Ontario Book Publishers Organization’s Discovery Pavilion was a short way from the main stage and we enjoyed a steady stream of authors, illustrators, teachers, librarians, readers, and industry colleagues. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to pull off the book fair’s debut year.

The opening reception on Thursday night

Publisher Gail Winskill with CCBC executive director Charlotte Teeple

The Pajama Press booth in the Discovery Pavilion

Deborah Ellis at the Read to Remember panel

Sylvia McNicoll with her novel Revenge on the Fly

Hugh Brewster, Gillian O’Reilly, Ken Setterington, and Deborah Ellis: the Read to Remember panel

We enjoyed visits from countless authors over the course of the weekend

An illustration from A Good Trade by Karen Patkau hung in the CANSCAIP illustrator art exhibit

Authors Margriet Ruurs, Marsha Skrypuch, Stephanie McLellan, and Karen Bass

Authors Margriet Ruurs and Stephanie McLellan with publicist Erin Woods

Marsha Skrypuch talks about the importance of reading programs and her childhood fear of the Cat in the Hat

We had so many visitors that we began calling ourselves The Party Booth.

Sylvia McNicoll was one of seven authors to sign at the Pajama Press booth over the weekend.

Margriet Ruurs prepares to sign A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison

A Peach Girl illustration by Rebecca Bender displayed in the CANSCAIP exhibit

Rob Laidlaw regaled these students with stories about dogs he’s met around the world.

Margriet Ruurs with Stephanie McLellan and Hoogie in the Middle

Pajama Press administrator Patricia Jones with author Karen Bass

Sylvia McNicoll signs Revenge on the Fly

Authors Karen Bass and Marsha Skrypuch got a little silly with social media.

On November 15th, about fifty parents and children gathered at the North York Central Library to hear author Margriet Ruurs talk about the life and art of iconic Canadian painter Ted Harrison. After an engaging presentation, Margriet signed the library’s copies of the picture book biography she recently co-authored, A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison, and settled in to join the families in making art inspired by Harrison’s colourful style.

Click here to see our digital gallery of the beautiful Harrison-style drawings and colouring pages created at this event.

This event was made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

January 22, 2016

Students at an international school in Bamako, Mali, West Africa had some Yukon inspiration when painting these Ted Harrison-style landscapes

Has your school made Ted Harrison-inspired art lately? We would love to see it! Send pictures or links to publicity [at] pajamapress [dot] ca or share it with us at www.facebook.com/pajamapress.

January 19, 2016

Some Ontario school children made this fantastic art after learning about Ted Harrison through A Brush Full of Colour.

November 15, 2014

Thank you to all of the kids and parents who helped us to make Ted Harrison-inspired art at the North York Central Library on November 15th, 2014. You can follow the links to see more about the library event or about Margriet Ruurs and A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison. 

Visit our Activities page to download your own Ted Harrison-inspired colouring sheets.

A special thanks to Sharon Andic and her library volunteers. This event was made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

“Based on an old Japanese tale, this picture book has the feel of a magical fairy tale. Momoko, the girl who magically appears out of a peach, bravely sets off to save the world from an ogre. Together with her animal friends, Momoko eventually finds the ogre who, it turns out, does not eat children but enjoys tea with peach dumplings.”

“…The skillful combination of text and illustrations addresses many serious concerns of early childhood—and even of parenthood—without straying from the book’s tone of fun and frivolity. (Among the issues so adeptly addressed are adoption, sibling relationships, classmate rejection and a missing child.) The characters are pen-and-ink creations tinted with bright watercolors; Pistachio’s russet braid and freckled face are reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking and the author’s own Stella. Playful names (Pistachio’s teacher is Mrs. Trumpethead) add to the fun. A playful and entertaining take on children’s perennial questions surrounding ideas of personhood, family and community. (Early reader. 4-8)”

Click here to read the full review.

The Toronto International Book Fair takes place this week from Thursday, November 13th to Sunday, November 16th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North Building). It will be an exciting show with presentations, workshops, book signings, and a marketplace (think Christmas shopping!). Tickets are available at www.torontobookfair.ca. Pajama Press will be exhibiting at the Discovery Pavilion. We hope to see you there!

See our participating authors and illustrators at the following times:

Friday, November 14^th

10:00                    Marsha Skrypuch | OLA location | “Children & Youth” event

11:00–11:30         Rob Laidlaw | Discovery Pavilion | Book signing

4:30–5:00            Marsha Skrypuch | TD Children’s Stage | OLA “Love to Read! How Reading Programs Lead to Success” | Followed by book signing

4:00                      Deborah Ellis | Discovery Pavilion | Book Signing

5:00–6:00           Deborah Ellis | TD Children’s Stage | “Read to Remember” panel discussion | Followed by book signing

Saturday, November 15^th

10:30–11:00       Margriet Ruurs | Discovery Pavilion | Book signing

11:00–11:30        Stephanie McLellan | Discovery Pavilion | Book signing

11:30–12:00       Marsha Skrypuch | Discovery Pavilion | Book signing

1:30–2:00           Karen Bass | Discovery Pavilion | Book signing

3:00–3:30          Marsha Skrypuch | TD Children’s Stage| OLA “Love to Read! How Reading Programs Lead to Success”

Sunday, November 16^th

1:30–2:00           Sylvia McNicoll | Discovery Pavilion | Book signing

2:00–3:00          Karen Bass | TD Children’s Stage | 2014 CCBC Book Award Winners Showcase

3:00–4:00          Sylvia McNicoll | Amy’s Marathon of Books